MAJOR SAFETY AWARENESS WARNING SYSTEMS FOR HEALTHCARE CARE

  • Tuesday, February 26, 2019 7:03 AM
    Message # 7187923
    Al Moon (Administrator)

    Public Safety Awareness Over Medical Gas & Medical / Surgical Area Alarm Panels.


    We need to educate everyone that Allied Healthcare Products

    ( Chemetron Area Medical Gas and Vacuum Alarm Panels )


    Does Not Meet NFPA 99 2012 Edition Code Section #5.1.9.3.5

    Area alarm panels for medical gas systems shall provide visual and audible indication in the event a mismatch occurs between the transducer(s) and its associated circuit board(s).


    NOTE:

    CMS Has Approved and Adopted the NFPA 99 for the 2012 Edition Starting July 01, 2016. ? What does you State A H J Require ?


    Chemetron management has indicated that this product (Impact Series Area Alarm Panel #74-15-xxx) does not meet NFPA 99 for the 2012 Edition. (i.e. no visual and audible indication in the event a mismatch occurs between the transducer(s) and its associated circuit board(s).

  • Thursday, February 28, 2019 7:13 AM
    Reply # 7191514 on 7187923

    Great post!

    We have been identifying these non-compliant area alarm panels, since the CMS adoption of the NFPA 99 - 2012.

    In that period of time we have dealt with this issue of non-compliance with this manufacturer approximately 10 times. We always test these alarm panel to confirm that they do not provide a visual or audible indication of a mismatch. We give them the benefit of the doubt, that they may have corrected this issue, but each time they fail this test. Each time they responded stating that they had never heard or seen this change in the code (I would understand for the first time that called them out on this issue, but not every time since). Each case they ended up replacing the area alarm panels with another manufacturers area alarm panel that is compliant.

    They continue to this day, quoting projects, and send this non-compliant area alarm panel to job sites, hoping that the installer, engineer, verifier, or facility staff do not call them out on this issue.

    Now I have recently heard that they are taking a new stance on this issue. They are now claiming that their area alarm panel is fully code compliant based on Equivalency (1.4). They have determined, on their own (without any AHJ approval) that their area alarm panel is code compliant with the requirements of 5.1.9.3.5 because they have stated that their alarm sensor are only allowed to be installed in the alarm panel box (their own spec sheets, currently on their wen site, does not concur with this, as they clearly say, in their spec sheets, that the sensors have to be installed remotely for panels with dual display modules), they go on to say that since they only allow the sensors to be installed in the alarm panel box, that there is no way for the installer to make a mistake in wiring. Obviously they do not go out on many job sites. The person installing the piping, is rarely the person landing the wires on the alarm panel. Additionally, their alarm panel requires a person to choose a sticker from a page of gas labels, and place that sticker on the correct display. This alarm panel certainly has too many installation opportunities for human error.

    I encourage them to seek equivalency, through the proper channels, with the appropriate AHJ's, understanding that their is not only one AHJ. If the AHJ's agree with them that they are somehow equivalent, then we will accept these area alarm panels as code compliant. This manufacturer, like all manufacturers, do not have the authority to grant themselves equivalency based on their own opinion, because if they put statements out there to the public (healthcare facilities) some of these people reading their position statement will incorrectly believe that they are code compliant based on equivalency.

    If we do not call them out on this issue, then who will?

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